NHER 4738 (Monument record) - Upper Palaeolithic/Mesolithic worked flints

1959. Stray Find.
Prehistoric worked flints found at depth around 1.5m (6 feet) when cleaning out dyke. When first recorded these finds were identified as Neolithic. Information from (S1). A proportion of the assemblage was donated to King's Lynn Museum (KILLM : 1959.32), with the remainder being retained by the finder [1].

Both sets of material were examined by F. Healy (NAU). At this time the finder stated that the finds were actually not from this site, but another nearby location (NHER 23214); although as he was remembering back 30 years this is far from certain.

The material held by the KLM was found to comprise:
8 blades (2 long).
3 flakes.
1 fragment of irregular waste.
1 thermal fracture
1 quartzite pebble.
A sample of a "buttery clay" had also been retained. The finder's handwritten label in the KLM reads "at 6 to 8 feet in dyke".

The material retained by the finder included:
1 two-platform blade core.
1 core fragment.
1 fragment of irregular waste.
22 blades (2 very long).
8 flakes.
All pieces were white patinated to varying degrees. The assemblage seemed to be Mesolithic or even Upper Palaeolithic in technology. Information from (S2).

In November 1989 the assemblage retained by the finder was re-examined by P. Robins (NCM) and identified as comprising:
1 blade core.
24 blades (16 complete and 8 broken).
7 flakes.
2 shatter pieces and 1 spall.
See list in file.

These flints are recorded as Late Upper Palaeolithic in (S3), which lists the assemblage as comprising 30 blades and 1 blade core. The flints held by the King's Lynn Museum are also noted in (S4). Jacobi described the blades as Grossklinge and also noted that "according to Miss. Motram who visited the site, the blades were found in the bottom 2-3'' of the buttery clay, so would be from Zone VIIc age".

It remains possible that this should also be noted that this may still be a multi-period assemblage as the KLM records lists two of the flints as being microliths (KILLM : 1959.32.3; KILLM : 1959.32.4). Whilst it is questionable whether these are true microliths it does at least indicate that the assemblage does include a number of smaller blades that are much more likely to be Mesolithic.

This site was recorded in (S5) as MTW U1 (which also incorportated a small number of flints found at NHER 23214).

F. Healy (NAU), 29 January 1988. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 17 September 2013.

1989 to 1990. Fenland Evaluation Project.
Auger traverse south along dyke side from emerging sand hill.
1m sondage excavated in the dyke down to natural sand. This revealed peat over waterlogged deposits, including buried soil, peat and a freshwater silt . It appeared that the flints had been associated with te silt. This site is of importance because it is one of the few find spots of this period located during the Fenland Survey and the finds appear in situ and associated with contemporary waterlogged deposits. The chance discovery of this site indicates the existence of a large tract of fossil landscape waterlogged and sealed beneath the peat.

Samples of waterlogged deposit were taken for pollen analysis. Results illustrate the presence of pollen in three layers reflecting contrasting sedimentary and vegetational environments. The basal sample demonstrates the on-site mire community which comprised sedge fen. Dry land vegetation consisted of Betula woodland. The marls contained a range of aquatic and marginal aquatic vegetation. Areas surrounding this basin were dominated by birch and pine woodland.

Dossier prepared for Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission containing recommendations on preservation.
See (S6) and (S7) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S8).
M.D. Leah (NAU), August 1990.